The Harvester
by whathappenedtosomeday
Summary: 10 years after Zuko is crowned Firelord and the end of the 100 year war, Katara has finished restoring the Southern Water Tribe to its former glory. Now considered a strong country, she feels her work is finished and seeks for a new motivation. Remembering her earlier years traveling and helping others, Katara decides to get the Gaang back together. Complications ensue
1. Chapter 1

The Harvester

By: TrenchcoatedSoldier

Rated: Mature

Pairing: Katara/Zuko, Aang/Katara(briefly), Sokka/Suki

Summary: 10 years after Zuko is crowned Firelord and the end of the 100 year war, Katara has finished restoring the Southern Water Tribe to its former glory. Now considered a strong country, she feels her work is finished and seeks for a new motivation. Remembering her earlier years traveling and helping others, Katara decides to get the Gaang back together. But during their reunion, trouble arises when they stumble into a strange village that hides many secrets. With an unusual connection to the spirit world, the world is thrust into a dangerous fate that only Katara can face.

Words: as of right now: 50,000

Notes: This is mostly a Katara story, and surrounds the lives of the Gaang in total. If you're looking for a heavy romance largely featuring just Zuko and Katara, this is not it.

 **Chapter 1**

Katara dusted her hands off on her workers dress, standing up and putting them on her hips to look down prideful at the new invention. Sokka had been the one to first show her how to craft the water pipe system that could heat the water in the village for baths and cooking. But maybe village wasn't the right word anymore. At that thought, Katara turned and looked up behind her at the impressive walls and buildings adorning the newly rebuilt Southern Water Tribe and felt a surge of pride and wistfulness at her new home.

"Hey, Katara!" Katara turned at the call of her name back to the work area in front of her where a dozen other waterbenders were constructing the pipe system. She found the source of the voice waving at her from across the way. "Have you finished with your section?" he asked, coming over to stare down appreciatively at her work.

"Yeah," she responded to her brother, "just need to attach it to the main system now."

"Great!" Sokka said. "Come on over here," he gestured, leading her to a giant pot of bubbling water with stoppers on the end, ready for the new pipes to be put in place. He gave her a stopper to put on one end, then, carefully began to disconnect the other end for Katara to reattach the section as a whole. They worked together to secure it then stood back and viewed the machine.

"This was really a great idea Sokka," Katara said, still looking on the boiler. "I know dad is proud of all you've done for the tribe." At this, Sokka looked over and smiled, but then gave his sister a confused look and then spoke.

"I'm not the only one that's helped out," he said, a strange tone in his voice, "You've done more for the prosperity of the Southern Water Tribe than anyone in the village. Even more so then dad." Katara looked at him, now her turn to be confused.

"What do you mean? Dad practically rebuilt this place from the ground up with you." Her brother's face softened and he placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Katara, you're position as ambassador with the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation alone has lessened tension to the point where the Water Tribe has flourished. I mean, the hatred from the war could have destroyed us, but instead you brought peace." Sokka grabbed her other shoulder, now looking at her dead in the eye, "Be proud of that."

Katara didn't know what to say. She of course knew she had done those things, but at the time it just seemed like the right thing to do. Everyone was so angry; she just wanted to focus on helping her people. Bringing back that old happiness that she remembered from her youth. She really didn't even notice that there was a lasting impact. Before Katara had the chance to respond though, a feminine sing-song voice called out above the sounds of welding and hammers.

"Soookaaa!" She called, pleasantly. Sokka's reaction was immediate. He jumped away from Katara, a wide smile taking up half his face and he jumped in unabashed glee.

"Suki!" He called back. Katara noticed that even in his excitement, one hand was still firmly placed on one of her shoulders. Katara was touched by his concern.

Suki raced over and practically jumped into Sokka's arms, and he removed the one holding Katara to properly catch his girlfriend. They had been dating since even before the end of the war and were still going strong. Katara wondered how soon it would be until the declaration of their engagement, but was simply pleased by their contagious happiness.

The couple pulled away and shared a brief kiss, giggling to each other like they shared a secret. Katara pulled herself out of her thoughts, realizing something.

"Suki," she interrupted, "I thought you weren't coming for a visit until next season?" Katara was confused, because the last time they spoke to Suki, she said she was going to wait a little longer to visit the south pole since the weather was, as she'd said at the time, too damn cold.

Sokka and Suki looked at each other a little sheepish, but Katara could tell Sokka was obviously in on the secret. Suki pulled out of Sokka's arms and directed her response at Katara. "I know, but," she looked down, then back at Sokka," something came up." She finished lamely. Katara only felt more confused and a bit concerned at that response.

"What do you mean?" she asked. The couple gave each other another look, seeming to communicate only through look alone as only people in love could.

"Not here," Sokka said to Katara, looking around suspiciously at the workers standing in the building tent outside of the main walls. "Come with me."

Sokka grabbed Suki's hand and together the three of them made their way through the massive wall surrounding the city and then down a few of the elaborately and newly decorated streets of the capital. Katara merely gave them a passing glance, now intimately familiar with the beauty of her village, having been there every step of the way to witness the change. A fleeting thought left her feeling mildly nostalgic for the simplicity of her small tents and igloos from when she was younger, but it was gone within a moment when she noticed all of the happy citizens strolling through the streets with smiles adorning their faces.

She too smiled. They really had come a long way from when Zuko's Fire Nation war vessel tore through the snowy wall of her tribe. Thinking of Zuko, Katara realized it had been quite a long time since she'd been to see him. The last time they met, it was in the Fire Nation capital to discuss trade agreements, and then it was mostly seeing him from meeting to meeting. They'd sat down once with his uncle to have tea but other than that they hadn't really spent any quality time together in years.

Before Katara could think further on the issue, the group arrived at the palace. Sokka led them through a few hallways until they ended up in his chambers, then ushered the girls inside and slid the door closed like someone was following them.

"Sokka," Katara stated, irritated, "What's with all this sneaking around?" Sokka shushed her and put his ear to the door. They waited a beat, Katara rolling her eyes, and then he breathed a sigh of relief and turned back around.

"She noticed it a few months after the festival." Sokka started, walking over to his girlfriend and grabbing her hands, staring into her eyes.

"We didn't think anything of it at first," Suki continued, "but then I went to a healer, and... well," Katara's eyes widened in shock. _No way._

"We wanted to tell you right away," Sokka added, now looking at his sister, eyes sincere, "but we also just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while." The couple shared a sweet look.

"Oh my Yue," Katara breathed once she could catch her breath. "You're…"

"Yeah," Suki said, smiling. "I'm pregnant."

There was a beat where no one moved, breathed or even blinked.

Then Katara let out a shriek and jumped up and down in excitement, practically barreling into her brother and friend. "That's amazing!" She talked animatedly. "I'm so excited for you two! Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet? How far along are you? You said a couple months after you left? So then around 5 months? I guess I see it now a little, you're kind of showing. Oh my, can I check to see?"

"Katara!" Sokka scolded, "You're suffocating us! Mind the baby!"

"Sorry," she said, not really sorry at all, "there's just so much to do!" Katara pulled away from them and began pacing the floor, thinking hard. "We have to set up a nursery, and get you a private healer to watch over you, and then Dad is going to want to throw a big party- Oh, Dad, have you told him yet?"

"Katara please, slow down," Suki said, putting her arms up like trying to calm an animal. "We wanted to keep it quiet."

Katara stopped her pacing at this, looking up at the two. "Why?" She asked. Sokka stepped forward towards his sister.

"Because we were thinking," he paused to look back at Suki, as if to get her permission, which she nodded to, "that'd we'd have the baby in Kyoshi." Katara was floored. Why would they take the baby there? What was wrong with the South Pole? They'd just gotten everything set up for something like this after all. Did this mean she wasn't invited to help out?

"Oh," she said instead.

Sokka looked down at the ground, not meeting Katara's eyes. She knew she shouldn't ask. It would just make things awkward and she was sure they had their reasons for both keeping this new development a secret for so long and for not wanting Katara to be a part of her brother's kid's life.

"We have good reasons," Suki said softly, obviously not wanting to hurt Katara's feelings any more. "The weather for one," she said with kind of a sad laugh. Then she turned serious again. "Mainly though, because of you."

Katara's heart plummeted in her chest. So they really didn't want her bugging them and their new family. She understood. Sure. Suki's eyes widened, as if realizing how that sounded and quickly backtracked.

"I didn't mean it like that," she hurried, " just that, ugh, Sokka help me out here!"

"She means that it's because of all that you've done for the Southern Water Tribe." Sokka finished.

Katara gave them a confused look. "I don't follow."

"Now that the tribe has a steady economy, a strong army, and a solid foundation, this place doesn't really need Sokka anymore." Suki said. "You've done so much for your people, that we think it's time for Sokka and me to settle down and start building a future together."

"But why Kyoshi?" Katara asked. Sokka looked sad.

"Because no matter how much I love the South Pole, it's just easier to raise a kid on Kyoshi." Katara thought about that for a moment. She guessed it was easier to keep a child warm at night, but after the new heating system Sokka developed, that shouldn't be a problem anymore. "Not only that," he continued, "I think it's time I left the nest, you know? We traveled so much as kids, and then we came back here and never left. I'm ready to see the world again, to be a part of the global community."

"You already are!" Katara cut in. "We frequently communicate with the other countries, you're an international diplomat for the South! You have friends in high places all over the world, why do you suddenly feel trapped?"

"I don't feel trapped!" Sokka defended, "I just feel like this is the right thing to do. It's what I want. I knew you wouldn't understand, this is why we didn't tell you right away. We wanted to be happy about the upcoming plans for our future, not feel judged for going after my goals!"

Katara felt like she'd been slapped and recoiled from her brother's tone. Judging him? How could he think that? She just wanted to know why the south pole suddenly wasn't good enough.

"So we spend all this time, ten years, working every day to make the south pole a prosperous and developing city again, only for you to leave the second things are steady? Sokka, you're right, I don't understand."

"You don't need me anymore Katara," he said, cutting through her words to find the real meaning behind her resistance. "The Tribe doesn't need me anymore. I'm tired of being a diplomat, of being a leader and not being able to just live my life. I want to go somewhere new and start something with Suki." At this he grabbed his girlfriend's hand and the two of them obviously left no room for argument. "We're packing tonight and plan to leave in the morning." Sokka then led Suki out of the room and left Katara standing there feeling like the rug had just been pulled out from under her. _What do I do now?_

* * *

Katara sat by the fountain in the court yard, twisting her bracelet between her fingers. She had a meeting with a dignitary from the Northern Tribe later today, but she didn't think she would be attending. After her argument with Sokka she went to get changed to greet the guests, but at the last minute headed for the fountain instead. Now she sat with her large Water Tribe gown billowing around her ankles and tears dropping out of her eyes.

Everything was going so well, the tribe was strong, her father taking on the role of chief once again and Sokka and her working through international as well as domestic tensions. As a team. Without Sokka, where did she fit in to this? She thought about her friends that she'd left behind when she moved back to the South Pole. She kept in contact enough to know that Toph was doing well with three different metal bending schools in the Earth Kingdom with Haru, and the freedom fighters were recruited to be Fire Nation elites. She thought about how easy everything was before the war, her brother's words coming back to her.

 _I think it's time I left the nest. We traveled so much as kids, and then we came back here and never left. I'm ready to see the world again._

Maybe that's what she needed, a change of pace. She'd been so focused on rebuilding in the south, that now that it was over, she felt lost. Did the south really still need her? She'd done her job and completed her mission. A part of Katara suddenly began to understand Sokka's desires.

She guessed it made sense. These fancy gowns and elaborate city living never really was something she'd ever imagined doing, but it was what was required of her in order to work towards peace. But now they had it. Maybe her brother was on to something. Maybe it was time to start thinking about what _she_ wanted, and not what was best for everyone else.

Katara raised her head, wiping tears from her face, and put her bracelet back on. She'd tell her dad her decision after supper, and then pack her things. Katara had made up her mind, now for the first time thinking about the _after._ She knew what she wanted and where she wanted to go. She was going to join Sokka and Suki. She was going to start rebuilding something _new._ Sokka was right; it was time to leave the nest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

With a new energy that Katara hadn't felt in _years,_ she sprinted after her brother and Suki towards the giant flying bison standing patiently in the courtyard. The sun was just rising, and she knew her brother would want to leave before anyone had woken up so that they could have a quiet departure.

He had told Hakoda last night and the conversation hadn't gone too well if Katara could tell by the yelling she could hear all the way across the palace in her room. But even after her own discussion with her father, he seemed too defeated at that point to really have much to say except hold her close and tell her he'd miss her and to visit soon.

The sadness from last night though had faded and a bright feeling of excitement poured through Katara's veins as she called out her brother's name.

"Sokka!" She yelled, trying to get his attention. He was just helping Suki up onto Appa's back when he turned and looked at her in distress and confusion. She slowed to a jog as she neared them.

"What are you doing here Katara?" he asked.

"I..." she started but wasn't sure how to explain her decision.

"If you're here to try and convince us not to leave again then–" but Katara cut him off.

"No, no!" she insisted, "I came because I wanted to tell you that," she paused "that you were right." Sokka's face visibly relaxed and only then he noticed the pack slung over Katara's shoulders and the dress she was wearing, her arms already wrapped for travel. His eyes widened and then he smiled.

"Katara! Are you coming with me?" She smiled, happy that he wanted her to come instead of needing space like she had feared. She nodded and her brother moved so fast to embrace her he nearly knocked the wind from her lungs. "I knew it," he whispered into her hair, "I knew you felt it too." He pulled away and stared into her face. "This isn't us. We don't belong here, living like this." He gestured to the palace around her.

"I didn't understand at first, but all it took was you to spell out why I had felt so lost lately."

"Well," Suki cut in from atop the bison, "Then let's go find ourselves!" she giggled and Katara and Sokka laughed a bit too and then the siblings climbed onto Appa, to which the bison let out a groan like a cheer at their decision. Katara took the bison's neck, preparing to steer and neither Suki nor Sokka stopped her.

Katara took a moment to stroke the bison's fur. "It's good to see you again, buddy." She said to the hairy beast. Appa groaned again, pleased. "I missed you too," she laughed, then, "Yip yip!" And the small group took off into the air, soaring over the palace and out above the ocean. Katara didn't see her father staring out his window at his two retreating children, saddened, but with a smile on his face.

They had flown for a few hours, and now the sunrise was cutting through the clouds they were trailing though, casting a golden and pink light all along the sky. Katara closed her eyes and smiled at the sensation of the wind blowing though her hair and the feeling of the air caressing her face. The sun warmed her and the peace of the clouds was all she needed to feel calmed by this sudden change her life was taking.

Katara _had_ missed this. She didn't even realize how much until she was out of eye sight of the city and the only thing around was the ocean, her friends, and the clouds. She thought about the ocean now, and how she itched to feel the push and pull of it. She realized that she hadn't waterbended for what seemed like ages. Sure, she did her regular drills in the afternoons with Pakku, but it just wasn't the same as fighting like your life depended on it. If Katara was one for meditating, she would have felt the need to do so now.

"So," Suki said, Katara had been keeping tabs on their conversation, but had zoned out during the platypus bear story. She tuned back in at Suki's change of tone. "We have seal jerky, some fruit, and a couple bowls of sea prunes from supper last night that I saved for the trip. Katara," Katara turned her head to look back at her friend, "What would you like for breakfast?"

Katara thought about the denseness of sea prunes and instead decided to ask for the berries that she knew Sokka packed. "Some fruit please, I'm not very hungry right now."

"That makes one of us." Sokka said, "Pass me the jerky honey."

Suki dished out the food, and then the three of them ate in comfortable silence. Sokka started up some chit chat with Suki again, and Katara listened on, pleasantly surprised that it was a story she hadn't heard before.

"And then, out of nowhere!" Sokka gestured by punching his jerky up in the air like a toy, "Aang swept down and blew out the fire like it was nothing! Saving all of us!" Katara hadn't been there for that particular mission, so she'd always wondered how Aang had showed up when he came by afterword's to celebrate the success of the treaty signed. She thought about Aang now. They had last parted on awkward terms, and when she saw Appa a brief flare of hope rose up almost expecting Aang to make a personal visit to pick up her brother, but it seemed he had just sent Appa for their journey. Maybe after she was settled on Kioshi she'd send a letter to him and see if they could meet again. She really did miss her friends.

It took them only a few more hours to reach Kyoshi, and Suki was practically vibrating in her seat, antsy to get back home. Sokka was steering Appa now and Katara was lounging against the bedrolls stashed in back.

"We're here!" Sokka yelled over his shoulder when he could see the islands in view. They flew over the first couple and began their descent. Suki was waving at the children running to catch up to the bison, frantically trying to see who was riding the avatar's bison. A little further, just outside of the town, they landed gracefully, Appa letting out a moan. Immediately, the party was swarmed by children. Katara was startled at first, but Suki seemed to know each one by name and greeted them as Sokka began to help her down.

A few of the children began to climb up Appa to meet them, and another couple kids were simply petting Appa's face. Appa moaned again joyfully and began to roll on his side to have them scratch his stomach. Suki and Sokka were already standing on the ground greeting the children, but Katara, having only just begun to stand, fell onto her back and then down to the ground when Appa rolled over.

"Appa!" She called out, reprimanding the bison, but he ignored her in favor of the kids laughing and jumping onto his belly.

"C'mon Katara," Sokka called, "What are you waiting for!" She stood and brushed off her clothes, only to look up and see a young woman staring into her face with a pleasant smile.

"I'm Meeshu." She said, "I usually take care of Appa when he visits. The stable we keep him is on my family's farm. Would you like to accompany me to my house to feed him?" Katara smiled at the girl, and bowed her agreement, calling over her shoulder to her brother to let him know she'd catch up with him later.

Meeshu shooed away the children still playing with Appa, to which they let out a collective, "Awww," at being told to move on. "Go on now kids," she said. "I know Suki would love to play with you instead." Then the kids seemed reenergized and took off after her brother and Suki. Katara smiled again, and then realized she'd been doing that almost constantly since she'd left the South Pole. What an unusual morning it has been.

Meeshu took Appa's reigns and began to guide the bison to stand and then the three of them made their way down the hill, but instead of heading for the gates to the village, they turned east and Katara could see the house Meeshu mentioned just over the hill.

"Everyone was so excited to hear that Suki and Sokka would be moving to Kyoshi." Meeshu said conversationally. "But I was very surprised to see that you had joined them. Will you be staying long?" Katara considered her question. What exactly was her plan? She knew she wanted to live with her brother for a little longer, but she also wanted the chance to meet up with some old friends and visit places she hadn't been since the end of the war. She decided it would probably be best to stay and get settled, so she answered the best way that she could.

"I think I'll be staying for a moon cycle, but then I plan to travel a bit." She said. Meeshu nodded, as if that made perfect sense, not even questioning why Katara was no longer planning on going back to the Southern Tribe.

"Well, I'm sure the whole village will be pleasantly surprised to see that you'll be staying." Katara smiled at her, touched by the sincerity in her voice. She forgot how kind strangers could be.

They approached the house and Meeshu went to lead Appa over to a big barn behind the building a ways. "I'll get Appa settled in for the night, why don't you head inside and have some tea?" she asked. Katara wasn't sure about going in to someone else's home without them, especially for the first time so instead she said,

"Thanks, but I should be getting back to Suki and Sokka." Meeshu looked sheepish, as if just realizing that Katara would feel awkward about what she said.

"Right, of course," Meeshu said, "Well I'll get Appa fed and then let him out in the morning to get back to Avatar Aang.

"Thank you, Meeshu." Katara said, but then, after hearing Aang's name, realized that she was faced with an opportunity. Before Meeshu could completely turn away, Katara spoke again.

"Meeshu? I was actually wondering if you had anything to send a letter with." Meeshu smiled and nodded her head.

Katara wasn't sure what to write.

She knew what she wanted to say, but she had no idea how to say it. It's not like she could just come out any say, I miss you. She needed to sound proper, but also like a friend, so that Aang would know there were no hard feelings about their last meeting. She stared down at the paper, completely lost. She had eaten lunch with Sokka, and was now sitting in her bedroom that Sokka had set up. He'd anticipated having guests before he bought the house so she had the room to herself.

It really was a nice house, and Katara was surprised when she found out that Sokka had thought so far ahead. It also disappointed her to know that Sokka and Suki had probably been planning this for a while and never bothered to tell her.

There was even a baby room, and that made Katara's heart swell with adoration for her soon to be niece or nephew. After lunch Katara and Suki had talked about the house and Katara found out that Suki didn't yet know the sex of the child. Katara had offered to look, after all, her healing had gotten exponentially better throughout the years, but Suki said she wanted it to be a surprise. Suki did want her to have a look at it though, to make sure everything was fine, to which Katara put her hands to Suki's stomach and checked to make sure everything was in order.

Katara then went for a walk around the village with her brother, while Suki rested, him telling her everything about the changes to the town and introducing her to friends he's made on his various visits to the island. Katara hadn't been to Kyoshi in years so everything really was different.

Now she sat alone, the paper lit by a single candle and the breeze flittering in through her open window blowing her hair this way and that. She'd gotten as far as,

 _Aang,_

 _I hope this message finds you well._

But after that she was stuck. She dipped her quill in ink yet again, decided to just write whatever came to mind first, and then set her pen to paper.

 _I'm writing you from Kyoshi Island, by the way, thanks for letting me know that my brother was having a child and had decided to move, but we can discuss that later. I wanted to let you know that I decided to join him, and plan to spend the next couple of months here._

She paused again and read over it. Yeah, that sounded good so far. She still sounded like a friend, but it was also polite. She began writing again.

 _I know we didn't part on the best of terms before, but I think I'm ready to reproach the subject. I also find myself missing the company of close friends._

She paused again. Then she decided to cross off that sentence. It seemed too forward and needy.

 _I know we didn't part on the best of terms before, but I think I'm ready to reproach the subject. I also find myself missing the company of close friends. I intend to meetup with everyone again at some point while living away from the South Pole, and was wondering if you could come by Kyoshi so we can catch up._

There, that sounded more formal.

 _Please respond when you are able, or just drop by, you know I won't mind._

 _Love always,_

 _Katara_

Katara stared at the 'love always' not knowing that she was going to write that until it was already on the page. She considered crossing it off, but that would be too obvious that she was struggling over how to address their situation, so she decided to leave it. She blew on the paper gently, drying the ink, then rolled it as careful as she could, tying a ribbon around it to secure the paper. She blew out the candle then stood up, heading for the door.

It was a chilly night, but the stars outside lit her path and the moon glowed down on her lovingly. It was only half full, but she still sent out a small hello to Yue, greeting her old friend. She knew the path out of the village well by now, after Sokka's tour she doubted she'd ever get lost. But once she reached the gate, she hesitated.

It had been a long time since she'd traveled anywhere alone at night, and the thought never even occurred to her until she was standing just outside the tree line. Should she be afraid? Were there people living in these woods? But she brushed the thoughts aside. This was Kyoshi. Even with the Kyoshi warriors, this was a peaceful island that very rarely had to deal with crime. Even so, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. It made her quicken her pace in the direction of the house on the hill.

When she came out of the trees, she could see the building lit by candle just inside the window, and the clearing gave her a peace of mind, feeling better now that she was close. It didn't stop her from looking behind her though, just in case. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing there. Katara drew her water skin she always carried while traveling tighter against her side regardless.

She made it to the house, but turned to go around the building before she reached the yard, not wanting to disturb the occupants. She then headed round to the barn, and tried to open the door. She frowned when she noticed it was locked. She stopped to think for a second. She could always come back tomorrow morning before Appa had breakfast and before he left to attach the scroll, but then her walk here would have been for nothing. Instead she just decided to do what was most convenient for everyone.

She took a subtle bending stance and drew water out of her flask, not much, but just enough to slip it into the large key hole and turn it to ice. She then grasped the outer portion of the icicle and turned it, the lock snapping open easily.

Katara then slipped inside, not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea about her breaking into someone's house. It would be hard to explain in the first place. Appa noticed her right away, his head perking up from where it was resting on his front legs, and greeted her with a huff.

"Hey, Appa, just dropping off a letter for Aang," she told him, anticipating the bison's confusion. At that he just growled like he was mumbling sleepily and set his head back down, Katara assumed so he could fall back asleep.

She walked up to him, trying not to make too much noise for her friend's sake, when she heard the door opening behind her. Katara froze, drawing water out of her skin immediately, ready to attack whoever dared try and sneak up on her. Appa lifted his head again too, moaning out in annoyance. But when Katara glimpsed the face of the intruder, her arms dropped and the water fell to the floor in a puddle around her feet.

"Sokka? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." He said, coldly. Katara felt shy all of a sudden. She realized too slow that Sokka had figured out her intent and dropped her eyes in embarrassment.

"What do you think you're doing sending a letter to Aang?" He asked, angry now. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time the two of you talked?"

"Of course not!" Katara defended. She was about to continue, but Appa let out another huff and stood to go lay on the other side of the barn. The siblings watched him move, and then Sokka came up to her to talk quieter so as not to disturb the bison any further.

"Katara," he said "I thought we came here to start fresh." Her brother grasped her arm, trying to comfort her, but Katara pulled away.

"I know, this _is_ starting fresh. Don't you think it's time I stopped blaming him and let him explain himself. If I can't let go of my anger, I'll never be able to move forward with my life. I'll always be wondering, what if?"

"I want to trust that this is the right thing, and that you're just doing this to clear your conscious, but what happens when he hurts you again? What happens when he comes to see you, everything seems like it going right, and then you have the same fight you always have and he leaves?"

"Why do you assume he'll leave?"

"Because he always leaves!" Sokka caught himself from raising his voice too much and pinched the bridge of his nose as if gathering his thoughts. "Katara, I'm just here because I care. Personally, I think the best way to start fresh is to not open old wounds."

Katara was mad all at once. "You're not dad! You don't get to tell me how to live my life! If I want to talk to him again I will and there's nothing you can do to change that. I know what's best for me. Just like you left for Kyoshi because you knew it was best for you. Trust me, Sokka; I'm not doing anything that I don't think is the right thing to do." She huffed out a breath, deflating from her rant.

Sokka was silent, and then spoke, "I do trust you. It's him I don't trust. He may still be my friend, but you're my sister, and you come first." Katara smiled at that, happy that her brother was so loyal. She was afraid they had drifted apart over the years, as indicative of what she thought was Sokka trying to leave her and the tribe behind, but he still cared. He still loved her.

Sokka looked up to see Katara smiling at him and spoke again, "You still care for him, don't you?"

"Yeah," she said simply. Sokka merely shook his head, and then pulled the letter from her hands. Katara let him, trusting that he would do what she thought was best. And he did not disappoint. Her brother walked over to Appa, crawled up a little ways trying hard not to wake the bison, and set the letter amidst his saddle, tying it in place. He hopped back down and came over to her.

"There," he said, "me trusting you." The siblings smiled at each other, then Katara started towards the door.

"We better get going, before anyone notices we're in here. It might be hard to explain why we broke into someone's house."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, "I want Suki's people to actually like me after all." They both laughed quietly under their hands, as if sharing a secret, then left. Katara locked the door behind her and was glad Sokka was there to walk back through the forest. She knew she could handle herself, but everyone was afraid of the dark every once in a while.

 **...**

The next few days Katara forgot about the letter she'd sent off to Aang and instead began to fit herself into life on Kyoshi. She began developing a routine, and started to see why her brother wanted to settle down here. It was peaceful and beautiful and Katara hadn't felt this relaxed in years.

She stared every morning by going down to the beach to practice her waterbending, and after a few weeks, she noticed that her old skills were coming back and she actually felt like the master waterbender everyone knew her as. She found herself summoning larger and larger amounts of water every time she trained and soon she could control twice the amount that she could even during a full moon a few months ago.

She would help Suki around the house, noticing that Suki still went through a few of her warrior forms, even though her stomach was starting to show. The girls got closer the longer Katara lived with them, and even though she'd known Suki for years, she'd never really felt like the two of them were close friends until just recently.

They went out together for ladies day, she met with the warriors sometimes and the girls always had fun, she even ran into Ty Lee a few times and began to call her friend as well. Suki's parents had come back from the war for a visit and her dad helped out around the town while he was there to make some extra money. Katara was beginning to enjoy the man's company similarly to how she enjoyed Iroh's. Her brother had a new position in the town government that was set up for him before he even fully moved to Kyoshi, and Katara could see that in just a few short years, he might even come to govern the town.

Katara liked the freedom of her sarong versus the heavy and bulky Southern Water Tribe gowns she would have to wear for meetings. She liked that fruit was readily available to her every morning at the market instead of importing it in and having it be a few days old.

She liked decorating the nursery and going to tea with her friends and training at the dojo once a week with Suki. She liked being treated like a member of a community instead of the leader of one. It was all very peaceful and Katara felt more fulfilled here then she had even after all the agreements, treaties, and contracts were signed officially declaring the end of the war.

In fact, she felt so at home, she didn't even notice when her letter to Aang went unanswered. And it was only after her brother mentioned taking a trip into the earth kingdom that Katara even remembered that she planned to travel to see some of her old friends. She decided that night after doing the dishes after supper that she would send a letter off to Toph and Haru, maybe even some of the freedom fighters and a few people she'd met in the fire nation over the years and see about a meet up. Katara twisted her bracelet around her wrist once, but then forgot about it again.


	3. Chapter 3

****Chapter 3****

 **The halls of the Southern Air Temple were quiet for the day. Most of the Acolytes were down in the courtyard, working through their afternoon airbending forms. Aang had shown them the basics soon after they decided to follow him, and each had come a long way. If fact, if they were actual airbenders, he'd bet a few of them would have even been some of the best.**

 **Now, though, he decided to skip watching over their forms and instead head up to the green space on the second level to meditate. Appa would be expected back any time, and that's where he liked to land after a long trip to roll around in the fresh green grass.**

 **Things had been going well for the temple in the last five years. Initially, construction was tough since it was hard to get any earthbenders out onto the top of it, since Appa could only carry so much, but Aang did enough on his own to really turn the place around. Clearing out the destruction from the war was traumatizing though and took a lot out of him.**

 **After the Air Acolytes joined him, he put them to work painting and refurbishing the temple, to which they seemed more than thrilled to do, and as the years went by, the painful memories of the war began to fade and new happiness filled the walls of the temple once again. Aang had even traveled around a little to find out that there were other chapters of Acolytes all over the Earth Kingdom. He then spent a few years cleaning out the East and Western air temples to try and start up Air Nomad monasteries there. It worked alright in the beginning, but the Western Air Temple was hard to find for everyday visitors. Aang figured he would probably have to live there for a bit to really get a community started before he could return.**

 **Thinking about his old plans and the decision to move made him think of Katara. Their fight was one of the worst ones they'd had and Aang felt ashamed every time he thought about it. Maybe he shouldn't have yelled, but Katara had just been unreasonable. He wasn't asking her to give up her life, contrary to what she kept saying, he just wanted her to be there for him so he wouldn't have to travel the world alone. That's what you did for someone you loved. Aang sighed dejectedly. It would get him nowhere if he just kept reusing the same arguments in his head.**

 **He'd made it to the green space on the second floor and sat down, ready to start a bit of meditation to clear his head. The fountain in the center was a good cadence to breathe by and it was always quiet up there, despite the children usually playing below. He took up the lotus position, folding his hands in his lap, one over the other and connecting at the thumbs. Then he closed his eyes and started to breathe. In, out. In, out. There was a weird sensation in his gut when he sunk further into his meditation that he rarely felt, and he wanted to dig a little deeper into it. Being more attached to his spiritual self usually made him more aware of the world around him. It was like a nagging at the back of his mind, that usually lead to something unusual going on within the two worlds.**

 **Before he could get too far into it though, a strong rumble in the earth shook him and he opened his eyes to see Appa standing before him. Aang floated up using his airbending and wandered over to his friend. He put aside the strange tugging in his mind and decided to look into it later.**

 **"** **Hey, buddy," he greeted, "How was your trip?" Appa simply groaned at him happily, seeming relieved to be home. Aang gave him a hug against his wide neck and then began to unload the saddle. Before he could get to the first bag though, he noticed a scroll with a red ribbon nestled carefully inside. Aang looked at it curiously and then began to untie it from the bison, taking it down to the ground to read.**

 **Sokka must have had some information he forgot to tell Aang the last time they talked. But when Aang unrolled the paper, he was shocked to see Katara's neat characters staring up at him. He doubled checked the signature twice just to be sure.**

 ** _Aang,_**

 ** _I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing you from Kyoshi Island, by the way, thanks for letting me know that my brother was having a child and had decided to move, but we can discuss that later. I wanted to let you know that I decided to join him, and plan to spend the next couple of months here._**

 **Oops, Aang was hoping Katara wouldn't even see Appa if he sent him early enough. He had a million thoughts going through his head after reading the first paragraph though. Katara was on Kyoshi? Why had she suddenly decided to move? A bitter thought twisted in his head remembering how adamant Katara was about** ** _not_** **moving when they had been dating, but he swallowed the thought and kept reading.**

 _I know we didn't part on the best of terms before, but I think I'm ready to re-approach the subject._

Aang stared at the scratched out section, trying to decipher what it said, but the ink was just too thick.

 _I intend to meetup with everyone again at some point while living away from the South Pole, and was wondering if you could come by Kyoshi so we can catch up. Please respond when you are able, or just drop by, you know I won't mind._

 _Love always,_

 _Katara_

Aang stared at the letter. Of all the things he thought would happen today, hearing from Katara just wasn't one of them. Then he looked over the signature again, _Love always._ What did she mean by that? She still loved him? Spirits he hoped so, because it had been hard enough for him trying to get over his feelings for her. But if she still loved him, and according to her letter, would _always_ love him, what did that mean for their relationship? Did she want to fix things? Did she want to get back together?

"AAugh!" Aang let out in frustration, falling onto his back in the grass. Too many questions gone unanswered for too long and then she sends this letter like a white flag to him. He couldn't help it, he was still angry from last time, but maybe this could mean something. Maybe it wasn't a mistake to hope again. And of course he wanted to go to her; she sent the message nearly right after she arrived. That had to mean something.

"What do I do, Appa?" He asked his friend, clueless. It wasn't like he could just drop everything at the temple. _She left and didn't want to come back,_ his thoughts reminded him. Well, he'd left, but only because she didn't want to come with him. It wasn't like it was his fault he was the avatar. She loved him, so that meant sacrificing a little bit of comfort to be there and support him.

Aang had sacrificed tons of things to be with her. He would never be as powerful as he could have been if he'd given up attachment to open his last chi spot. He gave up helping rebuilt the temples for years in order to help her build up the southern water tribe, but when the time came that he needed help, she wasn't there. And no matter how curious he was about why she finally decided to leave the South Pole, that didn't change the fact that it was just a little too late. Maybe she did want to make amends, and maybe she was ready to talk about their fight, but he wasn't. Aang decided he'd respond to her letter when he was good and ready.

With that decision made, he bid Appa a good night and headed back into the temple to join the rest of the Acolytes. He still had a lot of work to do before the Air Nomad culture was fully restored, and he wouldn't waste a second. The sooner things were fixed in the temples, the sooner he could figure things out in his personal life.

...

Toph Beifong was not one for long drawn out meetings about the economy and political standings, so sitting through a now three hour discussion about the education system left her so bored she'd rather eat ten pots of sea slugs then be in that board room.

Not only did she feel stuffy in the big fancy political Earth Kingdom dress, but it was also way too hot. She pulled at the collar around her neck and felt sweat bead down her skin. What she wouldn't give for the temperate climate of the fire nation right now. Yeah, maybe it wasn't as dry as the Earth Kingdom, but the current rainy season would be a welcome reprise from this hot spring.

Toph was in the middle of counting the number of how many times the current ambassador speaking said ' _um'_ that she didn't even notice when everyone stopped talking. She could feel the eyes on her. _Figures_ that was the time she zoned out.

She cleared her throat and said, "um, right…" Searchingly to a captured audience.

"Master Beifong," the antsy dude with the high pitched voice who was just talking said, "Um," _sixteen_ "We asked when your students at Beifong East were going to start their next season's training." Toph shook herself out of her usual grumpy and annoyed self and instead adorned the persona of a perfect member of high class society. She straightened her shoulders and projected her voice in the direction of the general audience.

"Beifong East will begin its third term under the direction of Maser Haru, learning standard metalbending forms to advanced sets. With thirty-three students having graduated the year before, we are expecting at least an increase of five students, maximizing our housing. This is why I am requesting at least a grant of two hundred silver pieces to build new facilities and help with daily nutrition for students."

There was some murmuring from amongst the crowd, and Toph held her breath while the council decided. This was the second time this year had met with the council to talk shop with the large and in charge crew about her schools and frankly, she was getting sick of it. Why couldn't they just send her box of money in the mail and call it a day?

"The council will grant this request," King Kuei said from his position at the head of the table. "You're results from the previous graduation show a significant portion of success towards rebuilding and job efforts amongst the communities surrounding Ba Sing Se. I believe that by putting money into our schools we can form a stronger and more intelligent future for this country."

 _Well said Bear-man,_ Toph thought, but she replied, "The Beifong Academy thanks you for your continued support." And then the conversation moved on to some other school requesting this or that, Toph didn't really pay attention. After that brief conversation, her work here was done. Now, if only she could figure out a way to get herself out of the rest of this meeting.

Just then she felt a vibration in her toes that always put her on edge. There was something moving toward the meeting chamber, but not anything on foot. It was coming from the hallway that was just outside the chamber door. Toph turned to Haru, who was seated on her right. "Something's coming this way," she whispered under the sounds of politicians schmoozing for money. Haru was immediately refocused onto the goings on of the meeting room.

"I don't see anything," he said out of the corner of his mouth.

"You will," she said, subtly preparing herself for a fight. When the creature was just outside the door, Toph shot up ready to defend the people of the room, and then everyone spoke at once.

"Master Beifong what is the meaning of–"

"Toph, what are you–"

"As I was _saying_ gentleman–"

"Everybody duck!"

A screeching shriek echoed through the room and Toph could feel the wind pick up as something burst through a window. But Toph would never forget the sound of a friend, and immediately dropped her stance.

"Hawky!" Toph called, putting her arm out allowing the bird to land gently atop it. The bird chittered in her ear as if upset that everyone was so feather ruffled by his appearance. Toph smirked, glad that something interesting had finally happened today. She gave a fleeting thought about how it was strange that Hawky had been in the hall a minute ago but came through the window, but maybe she wasn't as good at feeling air on the earth as she thought she was. It was a new tactic she'd just started learning anyway.

"There's a letter," Haru said, coming around the table and approaching her. "It's addressed to me." Toph frowned at that. Why would Sokka send Haru mail? Sure, they were friends, but what about her? Toph also didn't fail to notice that everyone in the chamber was concentrated on her in curiosity, as if also welcoming the distraction from business to assess this new development.

"Well what are waiting for Mustache man, open it!" Toph said, irritable. She crossed her arms, causing Hawky to fidget up to her shoulder. She could hear Haru unwrapping the scroll and he began to read.

" _Dear Haru,_

 _Please read the following letter to Toph."_

Haru paused, a distinct frown tracing his voice towards the end of that sentence. Toph smirked again. She knew they wouldn't have forgotten about her. Haru continued on.

 _Toph,_

 _It has come to my attention that it has been too long since I've seen your smug face._

At this, nearly everyone in the chamber inhaled a breath in shock. Toph knew how this looked, a member of the council addressed so informally, and she was loving every second of it.

 _I just wanted to let you know that Sokka, Suki and I have moved to Kyoshi Island and would be honored if you could join us for a few days to celebrate some good news._

At this, Toph puzzled. Wasn't this letter from Sokka? Who else would be– Of course. Katara. And that was a strange thought. The last Toph had heard of her old waterbending friend, she was a high ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe. Had she really left the pole to live with Sokka on Kyoshi? And what was this good news? Haru seemed to have been contemplating the last phrase as well, and the reading had stopped.

"Keep going." Toph said.

 _I have already sent similar letters to the fire nation and air temples to reunite old friends, I hope you can make it. Haru, you are welcome to join us. I'm not sure how long Suki and I are willing to host you all, but I'd like to say that you can stay as long as you'd like._

"Um," Haru said, "There's kind of a change of writing after that."

 _Toph, if you come to Kyoshi just to veg on my cushions and eat my food don't bother coming – Suki._

There were a few laughs throughout the room, apparently they were all mildly entertained by the letter.

"It's back to Katara." Haru said.

 _Sorry about Suki, you'll soon find out why she's been so irritable lately. I hope your schools have been doing well and that you don't feel too stuffed into your role in the council. I think some fresh air could do you good. Make sure to tell the regular crew hello from us and respond with a letter if you can't make it. Until then, see you soon._

 _Miss you,_

 _Katara and Sokka_

The room was silent for a beat, and Toph took that moment just to breathe again after the surprisingly touching letter. _Miss you_ Haru had said. And Toph realized she really missed them too, and if by the sounds of it, it wouldn't just be Sokka, Suki and Katara coming to the island. Katara said she sent word to the fire nation and air temple, which could only mean one thing. Katara was getting the Gaang back together for something special.

"Well," Toph said to the room at large, "I'm outta here." And with that she grabbed the letter still dangling from Haru's hand and waved her own over her head as she exited through the door, Haru following hesitantly behind her. Man it felt good to just be herself again. Even in her blindness, she could almost see her father cringing at her abrupt exit.

...

The fire lord was where he always was first thing in the morning: outside on the terrace going through his forms and drills. He liked the way the sun refreshed him after a long night of darkness and he often times got an itch to train as soon as he woke. It wasn't always the case though, sometimes he meditated instead, trying to calm and control his inner fire.

Zuko thrust a large billowing cloud of red up above his head, then spun on his heel and arched his arms, casting a column of fire to come down across the cliff. He was standing right outside the crater of the capital, where the personal temple of the fire lord was held. It wasn't like the rest of the outskirts because the land surrounding him was covered in lush grass and trees. It was a bit of a hike to the temple, one that most wouldn't take, but he didn't like feeling so constricted with his bending while inside the city walls.

A few guards stood watch by the temple doors, but they were far enough away that Zuko didn't pay them any mind and simply focused on the flow of chi through his arms and legs, directing his power out into the air. He'd noticed that his fire was much more controlled lately, and not the frantic burning of a forest fire he was accustomed to. Maybe it had to do with the similar pattern his life had taken.

It had been ten years since he was crowned Firelord and in all that time it seemed like he could never catch his breath. There was always so much work to do, meetings to attend, policies to write and concerns to hear. It wasn't like the Fire Nation was bad off after the war, given that they were still the richest of all the nations, but it took a long time for the people of the world to trust them again with it.

Zuko felt he couldn't spend any money on his own nation without someone from the Earth Kingdom calling it into light as a concern. He was challenged at every corner and had even managed to not get dethroned despite the several attempts on his life. But recently, things had started to change. It began slowly, but Zuko could see slight differences in the tones his diplomatic meetings took these days. It used to be that whenever someone from another nation visited to discuss treaties, trades or anything of the like; it would be a very tense couple of days in the capital. The workers in the palace were always on edge, and it seemed like no matter how friendly and accommodating he was, his visitors were tense and distrustful throughout their entire stay. But just a couple of years ago, Zuko noticed a shift.

Earth Kingdom delegates and ambassadors greeted him like a friend, a few of them he would even call that now after countless hours discussing the future relationship of their countries. Water Tribe chiefs knew him well and seemed to respect him more every time he greeted them in their customary Water Tribe way. And although Aang vouched for him and gave Zuko his support, the air nomads had just started to look on to the Fire Nation as an ally versus a potential threat.

He had waited years for this change and it lifted a weight off his shoulders that he wasn't aware he'd been carrying. He felt freer and lighter than he had in years. Yes, there was no doubt it was a long and hard struggle towards forgiveness, but he thought he could see progress, and it seemed that the fruit of his labors were finally starting to blossom.

After a particularly strong kick that sent a wave of flames out over the cliff face, Zuko stood up straight again and breathed out. His hands came together at his stomach, but not touching, lifting up his arms with the path of his breath in, then, releasing the breath he lowered his hands back down, completing his training for the day.

Zuko had two meetings later, significantly less than the six or seven he would have had scheduled a few years ago, and one of them was just a council meeting that was held weekly to review general departments of the nation. Zuko enjoyed those meetings most of the time because they use to be the only ones where things looked optimistic instead of slightly hostile.

He went through a mental checklist as he walked over to the steps of the temple to grab his shirt. He would start with education. Things were difficult for schools after the increase in young men and women from the war returned home, but after the initial student inflation, education was fairly stable and wouldn't need much discussing.

Next would be finance, where the council spent the majority of their focus. Zuko planned on making a few adjustments in the budget to shift money to support the new Air Nomad developments in the west. He heard that Aang was having a hard time managing it all on his own, and Zuko planned to send a few factions of soldiers over to help with construction and provide some manual labor.

Afterwards he would shift the discussion to local community development and see how the plans for his prison rehabilitation centers were coming along. The war left so many soldiers either unjustly imprisoned under the rule of his father or corrupt military leaders set for rot. There were also too many prisoners from other nations still circulating out of the system and being released, but it was a hard transition and Zuko was trying his hardest to bring fairness to even criminals. He had pardoned almost two thousand people after his crowning alone.

Zuko strapped his tunic around his middle with his belt, and then reattached his arm cuffs and finally his shoulder armor. The layers were hot in the afternoon, but for now it was comfortable. He tried to think of what else to bring up in the meeting, but to be frank, things had been going so well in the Fire Nation lately, that there weren't many adjustments he could make.

He found that he seemed to have too much time on his hands these days, which was… unusual. A few of his close advisors _uncle_ had suggested taking a trip to Ember Island and relax for a while, but that place didn't hold the same appeal as it used to. Besides, it wasn't like he had anyone to go with.

Remembering his loneliness, Zuko sighed. There was a time when Zuko thought him and Mai might just make it, but in the end they couldn't quite make it work. Her family was power hungry and she herself didn't seem to have any kind of appetite for, well, anything. No, it was probably for the best that they had parted ways in the civilized manner they had. Towards the end of their relationship, Zuko even started to dread the time he would have to spend with her. And they both agreed to the separation without so much as a fleeting sadness for its end.

Thinking of his lack of love life made Zuko scowl. After the creation of the council, one of their first orders of business was trying to get Zuko to wed. They said that a strong nation needed the nurturing hand of the Fire Lady, but Zuko protested. He could be nurturing. He could also practically hear Toph snorting out her lemon juice after hearing him say that.

They had pushed for Mai, but neither she nor Zuko were keen on marrying so early on, and eventually, it was a good thing they hadn't. It only took a few years for the council to give up on that particular plan, but it wasn't easy. They wanted an heir, but Zuko said that should anything happen the crown would go to his uncle at the time. Shortly after that, with much compromise from both the council and the Firelord, an heirship program was set in place.

Should Zuko be relieved of his duties as Firelord in any capacity, the surviving members of his family _again, uncle_ would take temporary throneship. Then, when an heir was properly chosen by both the council, the Firelord, and a vote of the citizens of the Fire Nation, then the line of succession would change.

The vote was a good idea, but he couldn't take all the credit for it. Aang had been visiting quite a bit during the early transitions from war to peace time, and for a while, he was Zuko's right hand advisor. Together they worked around the birthright law until it could be presented to the nation. It was met with heavy acceptance throughout, leaving the council no choice but to agree.

Not that Zuko didn't appreciate the council, after all, they were all the best and most knowledgeable advocates in their field, but when you put ten people in a room that all have different priorities, there will be tension. All in all, Zuko thought he had done a pretty good job of getting them to agree on the things they _had_ changed. And with his friend's help, the Fire Nation was once again stable.

It left Zuko with a strange feeling in his chest, and he contemplated it while descending the steps back into the crater on his way to the palace. It wasn't like he was upset that everything was going so well, just that it didn't feel like he would ever get to this point. Now that he was finally here, at the end of a ten year struggle towards peace and prosperity, he had the distinct feeling of _now what_?

He supposed he could go to Ember Island. It wasn't very far and there were some things he'd like to look through from his family's house again with a clear mind. He knew uncle would take control of the throne while he was gone, not that he really needed him to. The council was a strong and trustworthy organization that was more than capable of running the county in his absence.

Or, he could visit his sister.

 _No_. He banished that thought almost immediately. It had been years since he'd last seen her and the experience was one of his worst. There was still much healing to be done before he was ready to face her again. It was when he was at the base of the stairway, nearly to the large doors that would open into one of the palace's courtyards, when he heard a familiar screech in the air above him. Zuko looked up, recognizing the bird, and pleasant surprise spread through his chest.

Hawky landed on Zuko's outstretched arm easily, comfortable with the Fire Lord, and Zuko carried him past the guards outside the doors and through to the courtyard. This one had a waterfall that trickled over the rocks and into a pool in the corner, to which Zuko made his way over.

The Fire Lord sat down on a rock, waving off the servant he could see coming his way to remind him of his meeting in a few hours, and Hawky jumped down to present the scroll to him. It had been so long since he heard from Sokka and a thrill in his chest caused him to rip off the ribbon in haste and roll open the paper.

 _To His Most Honorable Fire Lord Zuko,_

Zuko paused, confused at the formality, but then remembered that while inside the palace walls, all mail had to first go through a sorting system to make his priorities during times in his office easier. But since this came from outside the palace, per Zuko's instruction, the bird wasn't first taken to the mailroom to be sorted and instead went directly to him. He was thankful he was out training early so he could read Sokka's message quickly. Sokka must have figured the letter would be intercepted and wrote it in accordance with proper formality. Unusual, even for an older and more responsible Sokka.

 _It has come to my attention that your presence is needed as soon as you are able on Kyoshi Island. There has been a recent development in the family that requires your attendance. We would be honored if you could join us for a few days in celebration._

What happened to Sokka? Was it Suki? Maybe they were finally getting married. Zuko read on.

 _Sokka, Suki and I are staying on Kyoshi and will be here at least until the next moon cycle. I have already sent word to Earth Kingdom and Air Nomad friends to join us when available._

Wait, Sokka and Suki? And I? That could only mean one thing: it wasn't Sokka writing him, but _Katara_. His heart did a little twist in his chest, but he didn't let his mind go further than that and decided to finish the letter before he got ahead of himself.

 _If your schedule permits, please plan to be intercepted at the Kyoshi docks no later than two weeks from now. If you are unable please send word via Hawk. We await your visit and miss you dearly._

 _From your loving friends,_

 _Katara and Sokka_

Zuko was smiling so large it covered half his face. He hadn't heard from any of his old friends since Aang's last visit and Toph and Katara even longer than that. And from the looks of it, Katara had already sent out a message to Toph and friends inviting them along. Zuko was suddenly full of eager excitement at the prospect of meeting up with friends _. Loving Friends_ , if the letter was anything to go by. He hadn't even realized how much he missed them until he was just now faced with this opportunity.

He didn't need to go to Ember Island, he didn't need to try and waste time relaxing somewhere he didn't want to be. He would go to Kyoshi Island and do exactly what his heart was telling him. He would visit _loving friends._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It had been a few weeks since Aang had first received the letter from Katara, and not a day went by that he didn't think about it. Maybe he had been a bit harsh when he decided not to respond, and he felt slightly ashamed that while Katara was pushing towards peacemaking, he was still holding anger. It didn't make sense; he was the Avatar, the bringer of peace.

There was just something about Katara that got under his skin, like it always had, that made him want everything and ask for nothing. Aang thought back to their argument during the festival in the South Pole that celebrated the final construction of the palace. Tensions had been running high between him and Katara for a while, ever since he'd decided not to stay with her in the south, but everything kind of came to a head when Katara attempted to get ready for the celebration.

Aang could distinctly remember her saying that she was _just too busy to talk about this right now, Aang,_ when he tried to bring up a few plans he had for the air temples. And he knew he shouldn't have let it get to him, but he'd been feeling neglected during the entire visit and it just crossed a line when she wouldn't even give him the time of candle when he was trying to plan a future with her.

He'd started accusing her of not loving him, and she'd starting yelling about how not everything was about him. It didn't end well. And to think that the only reason he went to the festival was to ask Katara to move to the Southern Air Temple with him. When he'd finally told her his plans through heated words and angry stares, her rejection to his carefully thought out ideas for their future burned deeper than any firebending accident could.

Just thinking about it now made his face heat in anger. Not only was it one thing to say she wasn't ready to leave the pole, it was another thing entirely when only a little under a year later she picks up and moves to Kyoshi at the drop of a hat. She'd been so careful with her actions as an ambassador for so long to keep the Southern Water Tribe in high esteem, and then she turns around and acts without thinking. She completely turned her life upside down for her brother and couldn't even spare a few extra minutes of conversation with her boyfriend.

Regardless, Aang felt like he might be acting a little unfairly by not responding to the letter. He decided he'd take a few hours to meditate and clear his head of all the confusing emotions dancing around him and then decide. No more wondering about it. He was either going to answer her or wait until he was good and ready to pick up where they left off.

Aang had been lying in bed, waiting until the sun was up before he would start his day, and during his musings, he could see the it already over the horizon and bathing the temple in soft yellows. He pulled himself up and went to go meet with Accolade Ying Xing. There were a few changes that needed to be made to the schedule to accommodate those that did chores in the afternoon.

Ying Xing was in the process of leading a group of Acolytes through a new airbending form when Aang approached her. He noticed her posture and nodded approvingly to the sharp commands of her hands that would have put out a strong wind were she actually airbending. So far, Ying was the most devout and passionate of all the Acolytes in the temple. He was even considering letting her run the Western Air Temple, since it was too far for him to visit regularly and the Acolytes there needed more direction.

"Remember," Ying Xing was saying, "push the form out of you like the air is a part of a limb. We are not separate from the element, but joined with it." Aang nodded again, pleased that she understood the teachings so well. He didn't want to interrupt, but he needed to get on with his morning meditation. He decided to wait until she was done showing them the move, then gently pull her aside. Aang sat down, watching the students with a fierce determination set in their faces. He really was proud of how far they had all come, and was happier with the number of Acolytes across the world than he would have expected.

One of the students balancing on one foot with his arm outstretched noticed Aang sitting a little off from Ying Xing and at first he looked terrified at being watched, but then his face set hard and he straightened up, wanting to do well in front of the Avatar. Aang smiled. Ying Xing was finishing up the demonstration, patiently waiting for everyone to complete the form, then stood up straight, seemingly ready to start the next form, but Aang stood as well and cut in.

"Ying Xing," he called. "May I have a moment?" The Acolyte was startled to see Aang there, but smiled and nodded, telling the group to practice the form they just went through, and then made her way over to him.

"Avatar Aang, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit on such a beautiful morning?" She said in a sweet and gentle voice. Aang liked how Ying Xing was always polite and sincere; it made him feel a tremendous hope for his culture. _His people,_ he wanted to say, but wasn't sure if he could quite yet.

"I was hoping for update on the temple, I know you've been put in charge for most of the organizing of food, housing, training and all." He said.

"Oh, of course," she said. She straightened up and put her hands behind her back like talking to a higher officer. It was kind of her but unnecessary. It also never ceased to remind him that she used to be a member of the Earth Kingdom military. He guessed that was why she was so efficient.

"I've put Yee-Li in charge of food distribution and Jingbo now does room assignments. There have been two new recruits from the Fire Nation islands that came over with Acolyte Jian, and our gardens are ready to harvest in only a few short days. I've created a schedule of chores for each new acolyte and we're adding chi teaching to the classroom." She finished, then said, "Anything you want to change?"

Aang thought about it for a moment, and then said, "If we move morning meditation up by thirty minutes, I think that gives students more time for the new class." Ying Xing nodded in agreement.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I'll add it to the posting wall after this session." She gestured behind her to the dozen or so acolytes working at different paces through their newest form. Aang was pleased to hear about the new subject they were teaching new acolytes, and never would forget to appreciate Ying Xing's suggestion that they treat the temples like partial schools. It was just like when he was growing up here with the monks, and wanted to make everything as similar to the old times as possible.

Ying Xing bowed to him and returned to her students, walking over to start the next form. Aang turned and walked back up the steps to the green space he liked to sit in during his meditation. It was a little later in the day than when he would usually get up to start the morning, but his thoughts about Katara kept him up late.

He sat in the grass and looked out over to clouds, on the edge of the temple, and set his legs in the lotus position. This time, instead of placing one hand over the other, he set his fists together over his chest, with both arrows facing one another. He then started on his breathing. In, out. In, out. It didn't take long for him to pass over into the spirit world, but when he opened his eyes, he was startled.

Spirits were everywhere, flying at a frantic pace past one another, seeming to flee from something. Aang stood up sharply and called out to the spirits in front of him, trying to get one of them to respond to him. When they didn't answer, he bent the wind around him to jump up onto the platform over the courtyard, and then again to get to the top of the temple.

Surrounding him were dozens upon dozens of spirits, and it wasn't a random stream of them heading in all directions, either. There was a pattern. For the most part, the spirits were circling around the temple. How had he not noticed this before? What was going on? He searched inside himself for his past lives to hopefully shine some light on the situation, but no one answered. Aang called out once again, trying to get the spirit's attention.

"Spirit's please! What has disturbed you? Why are you here?" Aang called. This time, one of the smaller ones that were flittering around the top paused, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Don't you know?" it said in a feminine voice but its mouth didn't move. It looked kind of like a rabbit. "The temple is sacred, he won't dare come here." Then she took off again.

"Who's 'he'?" Aang called after her, but the spirit had already disappeared from view. Unsure of what to do, he simply watched the agitated spirits, trying to figure out how to get more information. Just then, all of the spirits looked up at once, and then one of them called,

"He's gone!" and the spirits immediately dispersed.

"Wait!" Aang yelled after them, trying to get closer to a few. "Who's gone? What's going on?" but it was too late. Most of the spirits had already flown off in all different directions, leaving Aang alone in the spirit world with no clue about what just happened.

He waited around a bit longer, but when nothing strange happened he went back to his body, realizing he had other responsibilities he had to take care of before the afternoon meal. When he opened his eyes in the physical world, nothing looked any different. But a thought hit him as soon as he stood: maybe this was the sign he'd been waiting for _. The excuse to leave,_ he thought a little bitterly. And then it was clear. He'd decide to visit Katara and Sokka, and maybe then he could focus on the strange occurrence he'd witnessed this morning.

...

In hindsight, maybe Toph shouldn't have just stood up and left from a meeting with the most important noblemen and dignitaries in the country, but she figured it had all worked out in the end. Sure, she'd gotten quite the reprimand from her advisors, her colleagues at the school, her _father,_ and even Haru, but that just seemed to further go to show her how much she _didn't_ belong in high class society. She was surprised even her students found out though, but she figured gossip traveled fast in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se.

All it took was one too many people talking down their noses at her about her _undignified actions_ to jump ship. She decided to leave in the night, not wanting to spread more gossip about the situation that would cause her father to give her anymore grief.

Her dad was really starting to piss her off too. She thought they had an understanding about how much she hated schmoozing with politicians, but it seemed that over time her father just kept pushing harder and harder to get her into the most elite social rings. Whatever, after she left he'd have no choice but to back off whenever it was she decided to come back. The rebellion felt good, and it was the first thing she'd done in years that made her feel like her old self. How had her life ended up exactly where she didn't want it to be?

It started with the schools, and then the reputation to boost made her one of the most sought out instructors in the nation, and then her dad caught wind of it and took her in like a trophy to flaunt. Before she knew it she was the recipient of every invitation to parties, galas, and important social affairs in the entire Earth Kingdom, and damn it, she was sick of it.

Boarding a ship to the southern trade route that would pass right by Kyoshi had been the best idea she'd ever had. Only a few select people knew about her decision to leave, and no one, including her, had any idea when she'd be back. Of course she couldn't just leave the schools to flounder, so she'd appointed Haru temporary master of all three while she was gone. Which he didn't seem too happy about, knowing that he was missing a perfect opportunity to rekindle an old flame with Katara that Toph just knew he still hadn't gotten over.

Whatever, he wasn't the type Toph thought Katara was interested in anyway. Maybe enough for a flame, but the fire she knew Katara possessed was too strong for Haru to handle. No, only the Lord of Fire himself would be able to match such a raging forest fire, and Toph was pretty sure he'd be heading for Kyoshi almost as earnestly as herself. Maybe the two of them didn't know it yet, but they were too much alike for their own good to not do something about it. Toph did though, and she could tell it was going to be a very interesting visit indeed if Aang was planning on joining the parade.

Toph could tell from when she was last in the Southern Water Tribe during the festival that Katara and Aang's relationship was on its last legs. Although, she was surprised it lasted this long in the first place anyway. Maybe Aang's affections were genuine, Toph could tell enough through the increased beat of his heart every time Katara stepped into a room, but she never quite felt the same kind of response within Katara when Aang was nearby.

Yes, this was going to be a very interesting visit, and Toph planned to meddle like never before if it meant getting her friends to finally see straight and stop tiptoeing around the obvious. For spirit's sake, it's been years and they're all old enough now to really get down and dirty in a relationship. It was time to stop playing coy. In short- Toph couldn't wait. It was nearing dawn and she could see Kyoshi just over the horizon, now she just had to figure out how to get off the ship.

...

It felt good to be back on a ship, Zuko decided. The wind was gentle and the sea was calm, so it pushed past his hair and made him miss his days as a navy man. He smirked too, thinking about how he was again heading in search of the Avatar, but this time as a friend, and he knew exactly where he was. At least, Zuko hoped Aang would be there, although, he didn't know why Aang wouldn't attend.

Zuko was almost surprised that Katara never mentioned him in her letter. He figured Aang and Katara certainly would have been living together by this point after the construction of the Southern Tribe was finished. But Katara had only mentioned Sokka and Suki. Maybe it was just a family thing, or that Aang was traveling again to see how the other Air Temples were doing. Regardless, it didn't matter. Zuko was sure all of his friends would be in attendance for whatever news Katara had mentioned.

It was nearing dawn, but he couldn't see it through the cloud cover above. He wished the weather were nicer, but it was the middle of the rainy season in the fire nation, so it had down poured most days the last few weeks. In fact, Zuko was surprised it had yet to rain the entire way to Kyoshi so far.

A few guards stood by the entrance to the ship, something Zuko heavily protested when he told the council yesterday that he was taking a leave of absence for a time. He was fighting a losing battle though when Uncle Iroh joined in by saying it was unwise for a man of his status to travel alone, regardless of the current long standing peace.

Zuko had conceded defeat, but not without compromise. He'd gotten pretty good at that throughout the years after all. Only soldiers that had ties to Kyoshi and would willingly volunteer were allowed to accompany him. He didn't want a bunch of soldiers standing around outside of Sokka and Suki's house every day. They were simply there for support should anything challenging arise during his voyage, and then they would part ways.

Zuko longed for the freedom of his youth during the war. Being able to go wherever he wanted without being noticed, traveling as far as he wanted without having to worry about the state of his country. He couldn't imagine what being a parent was like. Zuko knew he took those days for granted for a long time, and only after he joined the Avatar did he realize how much he missed out on. He was so focused on becoming Fire Lord since he was young, that he never gave himself the chance to _be_ young.

Sokka and Aang tried to help him out with that after the war, making sure he did stupid things with them at least once every time they visited. He was embarrassed about it before, but thankful for it now. Thinking about the old times with them in the palace just seemed to further excite him for the days to come. He wasn't sure how long he was staying, Katara had said a couple of days, but he was wondering if he could push that to last a little longer.

By no means did he want to overstay his welcome, but he was unsure how long his welcome lasted. The last time he'd spoken to Katara, she'd been adamant that he could visit whenever he wanted for as long as he wanted and there would always be a bed available to him. He wondered if after two years of little contact, that rule still applied.

He didn't really feel the need to doubt her promise though, Katara was always especially kind. He couldn't imagine her ever saying something like that without meaning it with her whole heart. Zuko admired that about her. The prospect of seeing Katara again, not just all of his friends, sent energy through his veins similar to the way firebending made him feel.

He was antsy, and he knew it. So maybe he still got a little more excited than strictly necessary when he saw her, that wasn't a bad thing. Besides, no matter what his dreams tried to convince him of, the point was moot. Nothing would ever come of it because of Aang, and Zuko wasn't the kind of person to try and dispute that, no matter how subtly he knew it could be done from watching Haru and Teo try and fail many a times. No, he would keep that little flip his heart made a secret. It didn't matter anyway and for the most part Zuko could ignore it. It was only a fleeting admiration anyway, not a full blown crush like Haru suffered from.

Katara was beautiful and poised and wise and strong. She was impressive in her element, knowledgeable about all matters of political inquiry, she was always polite and logical even when argued with and was regal in a way that Zuko had only ever seen in his sister. But the difference between the two was that Katara was humble. It was almost like she didn't know how important she really was.

Zuko had developed a heavy respect for her over the years while watching her navigate a board room full of people who looked down on the Water Tribes for their "barbaric" lifestyle. And in turn, over the course of peace talks, trade agreements and international law discussions, she had garnered an incredible respect for her people. She was the face of the Water Tribes in the international arena and Zuko couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for her every time she got what she came for during those meetings.

So yes, Zuko admired her, but anyone would were they sitting in those board rooms watching her work. He didn't even think it was really all that romantic of a feeling either in the beginning, simply being aware of a beautiful thing, but kind of in the same way one would call a palace or garden beautiful.

Then she started treating him like her most trusted ally during those discussions, supporting his decisions and turning to him for advice about her own country issues and he couldn't stop himself from daydreaming sometimes. But that's all it was. Aang and Katara were a sure thing, and Katara had become a close friend. He would never even dream of jeopardizing that for the sake of a mild curiosity.

That and he respected her too much to believe she would ever show interest in someone she wasn't currently involved with. It would be a blatant disregard to her honor. And his friendship with Aang meant that no matter what fleeting thoughts he had about Katara, they didn't matter. He could forget about them just fine too once he settled back into pace with the group. It usually worked that way and then he could be a better friend when he wasn't thinking about her like that. Zuko decided he'd work on that while on the ship, so that when he arrived there would be no awkward stage where he tried to push down his lingering feelings to act normal.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" someone asked from behind him. Zuko was thrust out of his thoughts and turned to address the woman standing in the door frame of the ship behind him.

"Yes, captain?" he asked.

"Just letting you know we're about 100 miles out. Would you like to come in for a meal?" Zuko turned to look out at the ocean. It looked like the sky was clearing up enough, and Zuko could see promise in the day to come.

"Yes, thank you." And then he followed her inside, leaving the troublesome thoughts of Katara behind, hopefully for good.


End file.
